Detailed Information
Program of Study
A Ph.D. in immunology is offered through an interdepartmental program consisting of 21 faculty members. The immunology faculty members also participate in training students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. and D.M.D./Ph.D. programs. The central focus of the program is to train students to become independent investigators who will provide meaningful research and educational contributions to the areas of basic, applied, or clinical immunology. This goal is achieved by lectures, seminars, laboratory rotations, research presentations, and a concentration on laboratory research. In addition to basic and advanced immunology courses, students are given a strong foundation in biomedical sciences through the core curriculum in biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Research laboratory training aims to provide a foundation in modern laboratory techniques and concentrates on hypothesis-based analysis of problems. Research in the program is focused on the cellular and molecular aspects of immune system structure and function in animal models and in humans. Areas of emphasis include molecular immunology (mechanisms of antigen presentation, major histocompatibility complex genetics and function, cytokines and cytokine receptors, and tumor antigens), cellular immunology (biochemical mechanisms and biological aspects of signal transduction of lymphocytes and granulocytes; cellular and molecular requirements for thymic T-lymphocyte development, selection, and activation; cytokines in B- and T-cell development; regulation of antitumor immunity; immunoparasitology, including parasite genetics and immune recognition of parasite antigens; and mechanisms of inflammation), organ-based immunology (immune effector mechanisms of the intestine, lymphocyte interactions in the lung, and immune regulation of the eye), immunity to infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites, including vector-borne organisms), and autoimmunity (animal models of autoimmune disease and effector mechanisms in human autoimmunity).
Research Facilities
The Graduate Program in Immunology is interdepartmental, and therefore provides a broad base of training possibilities as well as ample shared facilities. State-of-the-art equipment is available in individual laboratories for analysis of molecular and cellular parameters of immune system structure and function. In addition, Health Center–supported facilities provide equipment and expertise in areas of advanced data acquisition and analysis. These facilities include the Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, the Fluorescence Flow Cytometry Facility, the Gene Targeting and Transgenic Facility, the Molecular Core Facility, the Microarray Facility, the Gregory P. Mullen Structural Biology Facility, and the Electron Microscopy Facility. The Health Center Library is well equipped with extensive journal and book holdings and rapid electronic access to database searching, the World Wide Web, and library holdings. A computer center is also housed in the library for student use and training.
Financial Aid
Support for doctoral students engaged in full-time degree programs at the Health Center is provided on a competitive basis. Graduate research assistantships for 2009–10 provide a stipend of $27,000 per year, which includes a waiver of tuition/University fees for the fall and spring semesters and a student health insurance plan. While financial aid is offered competitively, the Health Center makes every possible effort to address the financial needs of all students.
Cost of Study
For 2009–10, tuition is $4455 per semester ($8910 per year) for full-time students who are Connecticut residents and $11,565 per semester ($23,130 per year) for full-time out-of-state residents. General University fees are added to the cost of tuition for students who do not receive a tuition waiver. These costs are usually met by traineeships or research assistantships for doctoral students.
Living and Housing Costs
There is a wide range of affordable housing options in the greater Hartford area within easy commuting distance of the campus, including an extensive complex that is adjacent to the Health Center. Costs range from $600 to $900 per month for a one-bedroom unit; 2 or more students sharing an apartment usually pay less. University housing is not available.
Student Group
At present, there are 30 students in the Graduate Program in Immunology. There are 150 students in the various Ph.D. programs on the Health Center campus.
Student Outcomes
Graduates have traditionally been accepted into high-quality laboratories for postdoctoral training. Following their training, graduates have accepted a wide range of positions in research in universities, colleges, research institutes, and industry, including the biotechnology sector.
Location
The Health Center is located in the historic town of Farmington, Connecticut. Set in the beautiful New England countryside on a hill overlooking the Farmington Valley, it is close to ski areas, hiking trails, and facilities for boating, fishing, and swimming. Connecticut’s capital city of Hartford, 7 miles east of Farmington, is the center of an urban region of approximately 800,000 people. The beaches of the Long Island Sound are about 50 minutes away to the south, and the beautiful Berkshires are a short drive to the northwest. New York City and Boston can be reached within 2½ hours by car. Hartford is the home of the acclaimed Hartford Stage Company, TheatreWorks, the Hartford Symphony and Chamber orchestras, two ballet companies, an opera company, the Wadsworth Athenaeum (the oldest public art museum in the nation), the Mark Twain house, the Hartford Civic Center, and many other interesting cultural and recreational facilities. The area is also home to several branches of the University of Connecticut, Trinity College, and the University of Hartford, which includes the Hartt School of Music. Bradley International Airport (about 30 minutes from campus) serves the Hartford/Springfield area with frequent airline connections to major cities in this country and abroad. Frequent bus and rail service is also available from Hartford.
The Health Center
The 200-acre Health Center campus at Farmington houses a division of the University of Connecticut Graduate School, as well as the School of Medicine and Dental Medicine. The campus also includes the John Dempsey Hospital, associated clinics, and extensive medical research facilities, all in a centralized facility with more than 1 million square feet of floor space. The Health Center’s newest research addition, the Academic Research Building, was opened in 1999. This impressive eleven-story structure provides 170,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space. The faculty at the center includes more than 260 full-time members. The institution has a strong commitment to graduate study within an environment that promotes social and intellectual interaction among the various educational programs. Graduate students are represented on various administrative committees concerned with curricular affairs, and the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) represents graduate students’ needs and concerns to the faculty and administration, in addition to fostering social contact among graduate students in the Health Center.
Applying
Applications for admission should be submitted on standard forms obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office at the UConn Health Center or on the Web site. The application should be filed together with transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and recent results from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations. International students must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to satisfy Graduate School requirements. The deadline for completed applications and receipt of all supplemental materials is December 15. In accordance with the laws of the state of Connecticut and of the United States, the University of Connecticut Health Center does not discriminate against any person in its educational and employment activities on the grounds of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, or physical disability.
The Faculty and Their Research
- Adam J. Adler, Associate Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Columbia. Mechanisms of T-cell tolerance induction to peripheral self- and tumor-antigens; immunological properties of prostate cancer.
- Hector L. Aguila, Assistant Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Yeshiva (Einstein). Hematopoiesis and bone marrow microenvironment; lymphoid cell development; stem cell biology.
- Linda Cauley, Assistant Professor of Immunology; D.Phil., Oxford. T-cell memory and respiratory virus infections.
- Robert B. Clark, Associate Professor of Immunology; M.D., Stanford. Autoimmunity; immune regulation; regulatory T cells.
- Robert Cone, Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Michigan. Ocular immunology; regulatory T cells; neuroimmunology.
- Irving Goldschneider, Professor of Immunology; M.D., Pennsylvania. T- and B-cell development; acquired thymic tolerance; cytokines.
- Chi-Kuang Huang, Associate Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Connecticut. Signal transduction in stimulated neutrophil and lymphocytes; roles of protein kinase and phosphoproteins in cell activation; chemotaxis.
- Donald L. Kreutzer, Professor of Pathology and Surgery; Ph.D., Kansas. Immunopathology and molecular mechanisms of inflammation; mediators and regulators of leukocyte chemotaxis; modulation of inflammatory reactions by the vascular endothelium.
- Leo Lefrancois, Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Wake Forest. T-cell memory; immune response to infection; tolerance; vaccines.
- Zihai (Zack) Li, Associate Professor of Immunology and Medical Oncology; M.D., Henan (China); Ph.D., Mount Sinai. Role of heat shock proteins (HSP) in the early phase of T-cell priming.
- Joseph A. Lorenzo, Professor of Medicine; M.D., SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Relationships between bone-absorbing osteoclasts and immune cells.
- Bijay Mukherji, Professor of Medicine; M.D., Calcutta (India). Tumor immunology and cancer vaccines; tumor-specific antigens.
- James O’Rourke, Professor of Immunology and Surgery; M.D., Georgetown. Vascular biology; tissue plasminogen activator synthesis, transport, and release.
- Lynn Puddington, Associate Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Wake Forest. Allergic asthma; neonatal immunity and tolerance; developmental immunology.
- Justin D. Radolf, Professor of Medicine and Center for Microbial Pathogenesis; M.D., California, San Francisco. Molecular pathogenesis and immunobiology of spirochetal infections.
- T. V. Rajan, Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., M.D., All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. Parasitology; filariasis; molecular immunoparasitology.
- Pramod K. Srivastava, Professor of Medicine; Ph.D., Hyderabad (India). Heat shock proteins as peptide chaperones; roles in antigen presentation and applications in immunotherapy of cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders.
- Roger S. Thrall, Professor of Immunology and Surgery; Ph.D., Marquette. Immune cells; pulmonary inflammation.
- Anthony T. Vella, Associate Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Cornell. T-cell immunity; costimulation; adjuvants and cytokines.
- Carol A. Wu, Assistant Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Vanderbilt. Viral respiratory infection and asthma.
- Richard A. Zeff, Associate Professor of Immunology; Ph.D., Rush. Major histocompatibility complex; antigen processing and presentation.
Correspondence and Information
University of Connecticut Health Center
Dr. Anthony Vella, Program Director
Graduate Program in Immunology
Department of Immunology
CIIVR, MC 1319
Farmington, Connecticut 06030-1319
Telephone:
860-679-4364
Fax:
860-679-1868
Email:
vella@uchc.edu
